The state could not penalize “an individual who declines, due to honest religious beliefs, to provide goods of expressional or artistic creation for a same sex wedding ceremony” if the resolution is passed by the state Senate, then later approved by Missouri voters in the form of an amendment to the state constitution. They say they are willing to continue stalling, including by taking shifts on the Senate floor and leading discussions on “Star Wars” trivia, to block the measure that they view as discriminatory and that Republicans say they are committed to passing. Jason Holsman said: “A lot of the arguments I’m hearing of proponents of this bill harken back to the same arguments we heard back in 1964 when people were fighting for segregation in MS”.
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Clergy and religious leaders also couldn’t be punished for refusing to marry same-sex couples, and places of worship that deny hosting weddings would be protected.
“We’re prepared to stay”, Richard said.
Democrats said they had no problem with protecting pastors from being compelled to perform same-sex marriages but were concerned about the exemptions for some businesses. Jill Schupp, who offered rainbow-sprinkled cupcakes to senators.
In addition to railing against the proposal, Democrats spent much of the night talking about family, friends and travel in order to keep Republicans who hold majorities in the chamber from voting on the measure. That leaves plenty of time for Resolution 39, if passed by the Senate, to also move through the Republican-controlled House. Bob Onder, a Republican from Lake St. Louis.
How to stop a piece of a legislation that would codify the right to discriminate against same-sex couples?
Onder said the Missouri measure is more narrowly crafted than some of those that have faced a backlash – for example, a proposal in IN that was criticized by businesses. If it passes both houses of the legislature, it will go before Missouri voters this year.
Some businesses have opposed it. Among the largest of those is the St. Louis-based agricultural firm Monsanto, which called on other businesses to join it “in speaking out against discrimination here in our home state”. The extreme resolution would lead to a ballot measure that proposes to allow individuals, organizations, and businesses to use religion as a valid excuse to discriminate against LGBT people.
The filibuster is marking the longest continuous debate in recent Missouri history.
Missouri House Speaker Todd Richardson presides over the body in Jefferson City, Mo. on May 15, 2015.
It’s also worth noting that Indiana’s religious freedom law reportedly cost Indianapolis alone million in revenue.
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Though monumental, the record for a filibuster in the state is 38 hours – and it remains to be seen whether the Democrats will make it that long. The conversation on the Senate floor hasn’t quite devolved into the usual filibuster ramblings yet – in fact, based on what we saw on Twitter, people are sticking to the point and making a case against the bill, emphatically.
